Field Trip
by DragonAceSg7
Summary: Helen and Nikola are searching for rare books. SPOILERS for SFN2, suggestive content Helen/Nikola ship
1. Field Trip

**For current Bingo card. Spoilers for SFN2. Teslen-y and dorky. :P  
**

* * *

Helen didn't regret what she had done, destroying the Sanctuary.

Yes, it had been a huge decision.

Honestly though, parts of her were glad.

Yes, it had been her home for the better part of fifty years, give or take a few, yet it was also a reminder of what price she paid to save a city, to save a world while being paid for it almost like accepting a bribe.

Helen had no great love for any government, even England's. That hadn't stopped her from accepting the "hush money" to save more abnormals.

She sacrificed some of her hard earned dignity to live her father's dream.

She wanted her own dream, dammit.

She'd given how many lifetimes to his work? It was time to do it right.

However, the decision, while technically long in coming, had some shortcomings when it came to certain parts of the execution. Not the least of which was how much she'd lost of her library.

Yes, she'd been careful to move what had to be and make sure no one noticed and she was sure she had digital copies of almost everything there, but there were a few of her most precious tomes that didn't survive.

For some reason she had made herself not remove anything from her old office, save for the box that held the various cards and letters from Ashley over the years.

Now there was the task of running her new Sanctuary, continuing her work and trying to replace that which was lost.

Yet somehow it turned into less of a shopping trip and more a high school field trip.

At least it felt that way sometimes.

* * *

"Nikola," Helen poked the slumbering vampire beside her.

Nikola didn't respond.

"Nikola," Helen poked again, this time using a nail.

Nothing.

"Nikola open your eyes or I am wearing that red dress you love so much out to dinner tonight and going alone," Helen crossed her arms.

Blue eyes snapped open very quickly.

"Better," Helen fought a smirk, "come on, we've work to do."

"We worked all week at home," Nikola removed the arm that had been tucked under his head and snaked it around Helen's barely-covered-by-the-sheet waist, "you said it was play time."

Helen rolled her eyes as she let herself be moved, a little, to lean against Nikola's side, "I said we were coming up with specific tasks in mind."

Nikola shrugged, which looked strange given he was laying on his stomach half hugging Helen to him, "we'll just take a little longer, the kiddies can mind the store."

"You're missing the point," Helen started to move, despite Nikola's valiant attempts to keep her in bed, "we didn't go through all this to come to the surface with false names just to spend the entire weekend naked in bed."

"We didn't?" Nikola looked confused then grinned.

A pillow was promptly tossed at his head.

"No, we didn't, now get dressed, I'd like to get to looking before lunch," Helen grabbed her robe then went to go shower.

Nikola glanced at the clock and how late they had slept in.

"Too late!" he called then smirked when he heard the bathroom door click shut then be locked.

* * *

"You know, that wasn't really fair," Nikola practically pouted as they exited the hotel.

"What wasn't?" Helen asked, her accent carefully masked as was her appearance. Her deep, chestnut curls were braided tightly with a cherry red steak, bangs lengthened to be pulled back with the rest of her hair. Striking blue eyes were carefully covered with emerald contacts and Helen had made a point of not wearing any jewelry save for one single tiny sapphire stud on her left ear.

"You didn't bring the red dress," Nikola folded his arms, doing his best to look annoyed. He wasn't quite so disguised but did agree to the "toning down" of his wardrobe. He felt practically undressed in, of all things, a gray polo shirt with darker grey slacks. No coat, no tie, no vest and it was short sleeved.

"Oh, I didn't?" Helen acted all innocent.

Nikola restrained a growl as they turned into a bit of foot traffic. He suppressed the hell out of a twitch as he felt people brush passed him, his arms so exposed.

"I hadn't thought of that," Helen reached out a hand and placed it on Nikola's. His hating contact got a little trumped with their need to blend in more.

"I still think the tourist look is worse than the other idea," Nikola whispered, letting his own voice take on a slight German accent.

"Nikola, Dr. Heinrich Baumschlager, and assistant wouldn't exactly make for a covert trip to an antique bookstore," Helen barely kept in a snicker, "and you chose Heinrich back then on purpose."

Nikola just shrugged, "but think how hot you would have looked dressing up as my scantily clad lab assistant!"

"You seem to forget we are up here for a reason," Helen was trying to keep her tone scolding without letting her normal accent return.

"Oh right, our extreme antiquing," Nikola snarked.

Helen failed at suppressing the laugh that brought out, "this is the only place I've found with any references to these types of books that isn't some fake-y website."

"Did you just say 'fake-y?'" Nikola blinked.

* * *

"I think you only wanted me here because I'm taller when you're in flat shoes," Nikola whispered as he stretched for a book on the very top shelf.

"So?" Helen teased.

Nikola shook his head as he managed to get his long fingers around the binding and pull the book forward without its frail contents spilling all over the floor.

Helen snatched it quickly, her 'green' eyes alight, "we found one!"

Nikola nudged Helen with his elbow as her accent slipped through in her excitement.

"Sorry," Helen whispered as she carefully paged through the book that was actually older than she was.

"It's amazingly preserved," Nikola had to admire the book as well, the handwritten pages readable, if a yellowed and slightly brittle.

Helen looked much like a child at Christmas having received that toy they were asking about for months on end.

It was moments like this that Nikola was reminded how much he loved being beside Helen. She had that light of discovery in her eyes as she so carefully turned one page then another. He was quite sure when they finally figured out what to do for the Source Blood she had the same light.

"Well, worthwhile trip then," Nikola whispered with a subtle kiss to Helen's temple.

"Yes," Helen nodded and smiled up at Nikola.

With a smile, Nikola turned back to the shelves to keep looking for some of the other missing artifacts of written knowledge. As he reached again a very, very slender silver band with a tiny blue gem was seen on a finger on his left hand.

As he thought he found another he swore he heard Helen Magnus-Tesla giggle.


	2. Over Compensation

**Another Bingo prompt, another chapter for Field Trip****.  
**

**Different trip, same deal.  
**

**Thanks for all who reviewed before.  
**

* * *

Nikola smirked as he snuggled around Helen. He was busy kissing at her neck, trying to make having to get up be more interesting.

Helen tried to squirm away, halfheartedly, mumbling something about it being too early.

"You're the one always poking me we need to not waste time up here," Nikola slid forward, arms stretching to try and pull Helen back. He paused as his hand hit something under her pillow.

"Helen," Nikola sighed as he grabbed the item, one of her pistols and dangled it in front of Helen.

"Nikola!" Helen snatched it and set it on the night table, next to a smaller gun, "that's not very safe."

"Did you seriously just say that?" Nikola asked as he propped his head on his hand, "you are sleeping in bed with a handgun!"

The lack of verbal response made Nikola raise an eyebrow. He slid his hand under the pillows again and between the headboard and mattress he found yet another gun.

"Let me guess," he set the weapon on the night table with the other two, "there's one in the bathroom as well?"

"Two," Helen yawned, wanting to go back to sleep.

"You have a serious problem," Nikola commented.

"Nikola," Helen rolled over to face her vampire mate, "you know full well how dangerous it is for us to be up here."

"I seriously hate when you say my name like that," Nikola sighed then poked Helen below the ribs, making her squirm, "and you don't think sleeping in bed, doing anything in bed with loaded weapons is any safer?"

"I've slept with a gun for centuries," Helen argued.

"You haven't made a habit of sleeping with me in bed for centuries," Nikola fired back.

"Are you saying it's more dangerous?" Helen asked.

Nikola opened his mouth then closed it.

Crap now he was confused, what was his point again?

Helen yanked more of the covers over her head and attempted to go back to sleep as Nikola tried to figure out he lost an argument that hadn't properly started.

* * *

Nikola stood back as he watched Helen get dressed, not an uncommon occurrence.

This time, however, he had different motives.

"Five," Nikola crossed his arms as Helen finished putting in her green contacts.

"What?" Helen blinked to get them in the right spot before turning to Nikola.

"You have five guns on you," Nikola stated.

"And..?" Helen wasn't seeing whatever it was Nikola was.

"You have a serious problem," Nikola walked over and used his long fingers to try and disarm his lover.

"Nikola!" Helen just sort of reacted as her husband reached his hand into her jacket and tried to get one of her guns.

Helen slammed the heel of her hand into Nikola's chest, brought her leg up to sweet his out from under him then drew the gun and pointed it at his head.

"Ow," Nikola frowned, "I think you just proved my point."

Helen put her gun away then helped Nikola up, "you should know better."

"Me?" Nikola smoothed the front of his button down shirt, still no vest, coat or tie but no polo shirt this trip, "Helen you just beat the snot out of me for feeling you up! An offense, I might add, hasn't got me that hurt in quite some time."

Helen frowned, "you know how unsafe I've felt for so long."

"Yes," Nikola stepped closer and set his hands on Helen's hips, "but I think you're taking your level of security in public too far. What happens if someone catches you with all those guns?"

Helen looked up at Nikola, damn she hated being in flats, "you've a point."

"I always do, this one just happens to be valid," Nikola smirked, "let's go book hunting today unarmed. I think I can handle if we run into anything." He flashed his fangs a moment.

"That's not very practical," Helen fought a laugh.

"Neither is the arsenal you're tucking into your blouse," Nikola held out his hand.

* * *

"How did I let you talk me into this?" Helen mumbled, her accent masked again.

"A mix of charm and stubbornness," Nikola answered with a grin.

Helen smacked the flat of her hand into Nikola's stomach, "you are far too smug right now."

"You're far too violent," Nikola fired back.

Helen browsed the bookstore with Nikola, very aware of how unarmed she was. These trips to replace what was lost in the library were sometimes fun but currently she was feeling rather vulnerable.

Nikola was ignoring her anxiousness. He knew she was fixated on her lack of weapons and not the task at hand. And while he sympathized with how she felt, he also needed to prove to her there were times where carrying all of those weapons was more dangerous.

True to his point, this book store wasn't as quaint or small as the one they had been in a month ago. This one was large and filled with state of the art security, including, from what Nikola counted, three blatant guards, armed with tasers, and at least two in street clothes.

While Helen was good at hiding weapons, there would have been a huge chance that they would have been noticed here.

However taking them away was making her so squirrelly that was going to draw more attention to them than the pistols would have.

Nikola knew he had to act.

"Ni-," Helen stopped herself, "Nicholas, what are you doing?"

Nikola put his arm around Helen's waist and started to move her towards a corner of the bookstacks, "distracting you from your distraction."

Before Helen had a chance to ask what exactly he was talking about, Nikola planted his lips firmly to Helen's. He kissed her just the way she needed to be, her knees going weak almost instantly.

Helen gripped Nikola's arms as she moaned softly into the kiss.

Nikola cupped the back of Helen's head, holding her close as he practically feasted on her mouth. Once she was good and breathless he stepped back.

Helen opened her eyes, somehow slightly glasses even through the emerald contact lenses.

"Can we continue looking now?" Niko whispered.

Helen gave a slow nod, then blinked and walked over with Nikola to the section they needed.

* * *

It was dark as Helen and Nikola stepped into their hotel room, three new, well, relatively new, books tucked under their arms.

Helen tossed her jacket at the bed then fell into it, "ugh I hate these boots."

"How are you more comfortable in those death heals?" Nikola asked as he set the books on the desk by Helen's computer.

Helen shrugged, "used to those I guess."

"If you say so," Nikola sat on the bed, grabbing one of Helen's legs to carefully remove the offending footwear.

Helen giggled, "I do say so." She moaned as Nikola removed her boots then started to massage her tired feet, "how many stores did we hit?"

"Four, ugh, what an awful number," Nikola continued to tend to his wife.

"I still can't believe you talked me into going out without a single weapon," Helen sighed contently from Nikola's treatment.

"Well, to a point," Nikola pulled one of Helen's small pistols from somewhere on his person.

"Nikola?" Helen pushed up on her elbows to look at him in the mostly dark of their room.

"Half didn't want to hear, 'I told you so', if we hit trouble," Nikola set it aside.

"And the other half?" Helen asked softly.

"In the event I was wrong and wasn't enough to protect you," Niko admitted.

"Oh Niko," Helen reached up to cup his cheek then give him a soft kiss.


End file.
